


Part of the Plan

by navaan



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Community: wintercompanion, Established Relationship, M/M, POV Female Character, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:25:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2062773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clara only knows they're running, not <i>why</i> they are running, or where to... But she has more important questions anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Part of the Plan

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was first published as part of the Winter Companions _Summer/Winter Holidays Round 6_ on LJ [here](http://wintercompanion.livejournal.com/234328.html). Prompt: #3 - Captain, in the galley, with a weather balloon, in a pirate ship.

„Oookay,“ Clara nearly yelled as the Doctor pulled her along. „But I still don't understand... I mean I think I understand why we're running...” Which wasn't a hard guess to make with a horde of enraged Genmurians running after them, screaming for someone's, probably _their_ , blood. But she had really no idea what exactly the Doctor had done this time to make himself this unpopular this quickly. She nearly stumbled, but the Doctor caught her by the arm and pulled her along faster. and without missing a step.

“Doctor,” she yelled again, hoping he could actually hear her over the noise of the mob behind them and the sounds of engines that could be heard from the big main street on the other side of the alley they were now fleeing through. “Where are we even going?” The Tardis was waiting for them in the opposite direction, but there was no way to get past the crowd of murderous Genmurians to get to her.

“We're getting away,” the Doctor shouted back, somewhere between exasperated and cheerful. Running for his life was simply part of the adventure for him. Clara was inclined to take this as a good sign, as when thing really got dangerous even the Doctor grew less playful. At least most of the time.

“What about the Tardis?” she asked instead, because there was no way they were getting off this planet without it.

“She's going to be fine,” the Doctor told her, now _clearly_ exasperated. He looked flushed, and utterly ridiculous in his stuffy tweet jacket with the bow tie, but his eyes were twinkling and he was clearly smiling. Maybe that was actually, because...? No, that couldn't be. She was missing something here, clearly. The Doctor was simply enjoying the adventure, the way he always did.

“Of course, the Tardis is going to be fine. But what about _us_?! Are we going to be fine?” she shouted at the top of her lungs, instead of the question she'd been about to ask. “That's a bit of a concern for me at the moment.”

“Stop shouting, Clara, and run,” he said over his shoulder. “We have another getaway car. I think. Should have. Don't worry.”

Of course, she _hadn't_ been worried, until the Doctor had said that.

The Genmurians were still hot on their trail, but not gaining ground at least. The strangest thing was that she wasn't even really scared. In moments like these it was often clear to her that something was going on that she just couldn't see. But the Doctor had a plan, even though it was a Doctor kind of plan, which she knew would simply involve a lot of making stuff up as they went.

He pulled her into another alley, made another sharp turn, helped her climb over a little fence and dive into a house entrance, where he smiled at a startled servant clad in the crude blue garment of the planet's working class, who was staring at them hard, his inhuman golden eyes taking them in startled, settling on their eyes that marked them so clearly as off-worlders. Then he nodded once. “The captain's friends are mine,” he said formally, without explaining anything more. The Doctor nodded back, either knowing exactly what was going on here, or just playing along as he sometimes did. It was hard to tell with a person whose rule for exploring the universe in anachronistic apparel was to just pretend he belonged everywhere - and got away with it more often than not.

The Genmurian opened the back-door for them and gestured towards the trees. Loud voices could be heard from the front door. Some of their pursuers must have caught up with them and Clara looked at the man anxiously, then glanced at the Doctor for reassurance. “Nothing will happen to you, when they realise we're not here,” the Doctor said in a low voice.

“Nothing will happen to me, because I'm part of the crew,” the man answered and smirked.

Clara frowned and again tried to catch the Doctor's eye to silently ask for an explanation. But the Doctor was nodding, wringing his hands a little. “Best of luck then,” he answered.

“Best of luck,” the man echoed and practically shoved them out the door. “Now hurry.”

“Thank you,” Clara whispered, before the door closed. 

“Clara Oswald, aren't you quite the lucky girl?” the Doctor was saying behind her, already marching toward the trees. 

“What are you talking about?”

“Space pirates, running, stealing the queen's most precious treasure! If that's not the perfect adventure, I don't know what is.” He spun around once and clapped his hands and walked on, cheeky grin and having altogether too much fun with this. 

“Is that what's happening? I just saw you kiss a handsome guy in the palace kitchen and suddenly all hell broke loose. I'd really like to know what that was all about by the way... What is that?!” She pointed ahead of them, right above the tree line.

“A weather balloon!” the Doctor shouted, throwing his arms up and smiling like a maniac. “That's for us!”

He snatched her hand and pulled her along, falling into a run again. Behind them the noises and shouts were getting louder and Clara was glad when they reached the wood. They stumbled along for a few meters when a shout behind her made her turn. She couldn't see anyone, but there were definitely people following them through trees now.

“There!” the Doctor whispered and pointed ahead. 

In the shadows of the trees walls of black metal were barely visible in the shadows. Only when they'd come closer and she could see the large construction more clearly did Clara realize what she was looking at. “Is that... a space ship?” she whispered back. Who would hide a space ship of this size in the woods?

He nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, of course it is, Clara, perfect state of the art space ship. And our getaway car, so to speak.”

“It's bigger than your average getaway car. I still don't even know why we need a getaway car – space ship. We had a perfectly working Tardis when this all started. And then I enter the kitchen and you're kissing someone and we're running... and...”

The Doctor pulled her through the open hatch and into the spacious space ship, along a corridor. A woman, armed to the teeth and looking like she'd just come all the way from a steam-punk themed cosplay event, was blocking their way. Her golden eyes, marked her as Genmurian. She spared a slightly disdainful glance for Clara, before she turned to the Doctor. “The captain is waiting for you, sir,” she told him.

“So, it worked out? He's fine?”

“Of course, he is fine,” she said with a huff. “How can he not be? He's also free. All went according to plan.” Clara was left wondering what kind of plan there had been in the first place. The woman waved at them to move on.

“Next time we have a plan, you let me know about it,” she sternly told the Doctor, who had the grace to turn around and look a little sheepish. 

“It wasn't exactly a long term plan. It just... happened.”

“Happened, huh?” She rolled her eyes. “Story of your life.” He smiled as if she'd just said something really flattering. 

The Doctor knew his way around here and they made their way to the front of the ship where the ships crew already was busy without running into more trouble at least. It seemed they were already leaving the planet, pursued by some Genmurian guard ships. Clara stopped to take in the view of the stars visible all around them through the glass that seemed to make up the walls of the ship here. It was an amazing view, but when a laser was aimed right at them and connected with the outside hull, Clara ducked instinctively. Glass – or whatever else this was, didn't seem much too breakable to be secure in a situation like this. The Doctor was unconcerned and made a beeline for the familiar blue box standing in one corner. 

“Hello, sexy,” he said and patted the door.

“ _That_ was supposed to be my line,” a handsome man in a long dark leather coat and with roguish smile, said as he stepped towards the Doctor. The Doctor spun around, his mouth already open and ready to protest, when the man just reached out and pulled him closer as if it was nothing – and shut him up with a kiss, not letting go as the Doctor struggled – half-heartedly – in his hold. 

“ _Now_ I recognize you,” Clara said dryly. “You're the guy from the kitchen.”

The Doctor finally freed himself, nearly bumping against the Tardis as he took a step back. “Jack, that is Clara. Clara, Jack.”

She beamed at the man who smiled back. “Captain Jack Harkness at your service,” he said and gallantly kissed her hand. 

“You can tone it down now,” the Doctor said and rolled his eyes.

“I was just being friendly,” Jack replied.

“You always are,” the Doctor said and sighed. “It's quite annoying.”

“I don't mind at all,” Clara told Jack and smirked at the Doctor.

“See?” he asked Jack.

The ship shook and Clara stumbled, but the Doctor caught her by the arm to help her find her balance. Jack turned around to look.

“We're clear,” a female crew member informed him.

Jack nodded. “Good, take her out of here. We've got bigger bounty in the Vurnarian system waiting for us.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes again. “Space pirates,” he mumbled. “So old fashioned.”

“So, is that what happened? We're running away with space pirates?” Clara asked and frowned when she looked at the Tardis again. “How did the Tardis get here? And why were you kissing him? I feel this adventure would be so much better if I knew what just happened. Are you the captain of the space pirates? And we're what? Your pirate friends? Your hostages?”

Jack laughed, a warm and pleasant sound. “Pirates don't rescue their hostages, they nab them, darling. And we're not exactly pirates. We're treasure hunters.”

“You're one to talk, Jack. You were the hostage down there.”

“I wasn't a hostage, Doctor. I was a treasured and pampered boy toy.”

“Well, in that case we can just turn around and leave you with her majesty.”

Clara was looking from one to the other, then noticed out of the corner of her eyes that the crew consisting of humans and some aliens she'd never seen before was listening quite attentively too. 

“So you were the treasure we were hunting, or what?” she finally asked with a smile.

“In a way,” Jack agreed, his eyes twinkling.

She turned to look at the Doctor expectantly. “I'm still waiting for an explanation for...” - she waved her hand around, making sure she was clearly including Jack, the Tardis the space ship and crew and the Doctor in it - “all of this.”

It was always hard to tell with the Doctor, but this time he looked actually flustered. “I couldn't leave Jack there.”

“I see. Because he was in terrible danger of being ravished?”

The Doctor glared at Jack, who smiled sweetly. “I think I like being the damsel in distress,” Jack said.

“You weren't in distress,” Clara pointed out.

“Oh, not all of it was hardship. But it was turning into a bit of a problem.”

The Doctor cleared his throat. “See, Clara, the people down there had figured out one of Jack's little secrets. They were ready to worship him as god, but on their own terms. Not so very pleasant terms. People really want to have a piece of what... Jack has. The priests down there are aware of their own power and how to use something like this to further their own agenda. Sooner or later the golden cage would have turned into actual iron bars or something much, much worse than that. And you've seen the people down there. The last thing they needed was something giving more power to these priests.”

Jack shrugged as if it was nothing. “And I'm needed here.”

She pondered that, not sure what to make of it. What kind of secret were they talking about here? But in the end settled on asking the question that hadn't been answered yet: “So what did we do down there, actually?”

“We were the decoy,” the Doctor stated simply. When they couldn't find Jack in the holy refugium inside the palace, they knew he was planning to get away. I needed to make them think that we had helped him escape. In fact we only led them on a wild goose chase to give Jack time to reach the Tardis and get here without any trouble.”

She folded her arms in front of her chest and glared at both of them. “And we couldn't just all have taken the Tardis and spared me the running for my life part?”

“No,” the Doctor said, matter of factly. “Don't be difficult. You signed up for the running for your life part.”

“We all do, when we start travelling with him,” Jack stage whispered to her. So he had travelled with the Doctor? _That_ was interesting information.

“And the kissing?” she stage whispered back. 

Jack wriggled his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

“Jack! Don't give her ideas.” 

“More ideas, you mean,” Clara said.

The Doctor glared. But he was wringing his hands.

It was just a little bit more adorable than she'd expected.

* * *

The Doctor was working on the controls inside the Tardis. Jack was watching him silently, reluctant to leave so that he and Clara could move on. What was a few minutes more when you had a time machine and so much time?

“You need a new Vortex Manipulator,” the Doctor said, but didn't look up.

Jack shrugged. “I'll come by one.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you for coming to my rescue. Being killed and revived to further the goals of an oppressive religion isn't exactly the way I like to spend my vacation.”

The Doctor waved the gratitude away and pushed another button, more forcefully this time. “Did you at least get your artifact, before they got you?”

“Yes. Not sure how they found the little chunk of Tardis coral.”

“Keep it safe.”

“I will.”

The Doctor went back to his controls, typing and pushing and pulling a lever here and there. His hands were moving along the instruments quickly and sure, but by now it was obvious he was doing it mostly to not have to look Jack in the eye.

“Doctor,” Jack said, walking up to him and putting his arms around him. “It's always good to see you.” He kissed his neck, just a short peck against the soft skin. “Don't be a stranger.” 

He stepped back to make his way towards the door. 

“Pick-nick on the Pedontian planes?” the Doctor asked before Jack exited the Tardis.

“Sounds great,” Jack answered with a fond smile and opened the door.

“Don't get into trouble,”

“I won't, if you won't.”

The Doctor didn't even look up as the door fell shut behind him.

* * *

They watched the space ship _Torchwood Scavenger_ disappear into space on their little monitor in the Tardis. Their own space ship slash time machine was holding position for the moment and the Doctor was very still and quiet.

Clara needed to ask. “So, he's your boyfriend and you only meet him once in a while? I can't decide if that's cute and mysterious or if that's as messed up as it gets.”

“Not my _boyfriend_.”

“Man who is allowed to shove his tongue down your throat should at the very least be your boyfriend. Nothing to be ashamed of. The Indiana Jones space pirate act is pretty sexy.”

“When I met him he was... different.”

“How different?”

The Doctor shrugged and Clara wondered if this was a sore point. “Around 5000 years younger for one,” he finally said.

“You're kidding.”

He shrugged again.

“Cute and messed up then. A lot like you, actually,” Clara concluded.

The Doctor watched her, but his eyes weren't really seeing her. He was clearly lost in thought.

“Will we see him again?”

“Oh,” the Doctor said and smiled. “Of course, we will.”

“I'm looking forward to it.” She grinned and when he smiled in answer his eyes were full of fondness. It was a good look on him.

“Let's go then. The universe isn't waiting for anyone, is it?” Clara asked and clapped her hands. 

There was no frantic hopping around or pulling of levers. The Doctor simply pushed a button and they were off into time and space again.


End file.
